What should I ask AI for my first try?

by Stephen Wu, a retired engineering manager, spent several years building AI workflows for his teams and now trying to make AI something everyone can understand and use successfully

Your first question to AI should be something simple, familiar, and low-stakes—something where you already have some knowledge to evaluate whether the answer makes sense. Good first questions include asking for recipe ideas, explaining a concept you're curious about, or getting suggestions for a problem you're facing. The goal isn't to solve your biggest challenge right away; it's to see how AI responds and build your confidence having a conversation with it.

Why your first question matters (but not in the way you think)

You might feel pressure to ask something impressive or important for your first try. Don't. The point of your first question is to learn how AI works, not to solve a major problem.

A good first question:

Covers a topic you know something about (so you can judge if the answer makes sense)
Has no real consequences if the answer is wrong
Gives you a chance to follow up and see how conversation works
Helps you understand AI's strengths and limitations

Examples of good first questions:

"What are three easy dinner ideas I can make with chicken, rice, and broccoli?"
"Explain how compound interest works like I'm 12 years old"
"I need to organize my garage. What's a good system for storing tools and sports equipment?"
"Give me five book recommendations similar to Project Hail Mary"

Categories of questions that work well for first-timers

Practical everyday questions These let you immediately see if AI's answer is useful in real life.

"How do I get red wine stains out of carpet?"
"What's a polite way to decline an invitation without giving a specific reason?"
"I have eggs, flour, and milk. What can I bake?"

Explanations and learning Ask AI to explain something you've always wondered about but never looked up.

"Why do airplanes leave white trails in the sky sometimes?"
"How does noise-canceling in headphones actually work?"
"What's the difference between Celsius and Fahrenheit, and why do we use both?"

Brainstorming and ideas These questions let you see how AI thinks creatively while staying in familiar territory.

"I want to surprise my spouse with a thoughtful, inexpensive birthday gift. Ideas?"
"What are some good conversation starters for a family dinner?"
"I need a catchy name for my neighborhood book club"

Simple planning Try something with a clear goal but where the details could vary.

"I have 2 hours to explore downtown Seattle as a tourist. What should I prioritize?"
"How should I structure a one-week workout plan for a beginner?"
"What's a reasonable timeline for planning a wedding?"

What to avoid for your first question

Don't start with something too complex "Explain quantum computing and its implications for cryptography" is a terrible first question. You won't know if the answer is accurate, and the complexity might make you think AI is harder to use than it really is.

Don't ask about sensitive personal situations Save questions about health concerns, legal issues, or serious life decisions for later (or never—AI isn't qualified for those anyway). Privacy aside, you want your first experience to be low-pressure.

Don't ask open-ended philosophical questions "What is the meaning of life?" will get you a long, generic response that doesn't demonstrate what AI is actually good at. Save the big questions for when you understand how to have more nuanced conversations.

What a good first conversation looks like

Let's say you ask: "I need to write a thank-you email to my neighbor who watched my dog while I was out of town. Can you help?"

AI's first response: AI provides a draft email that's polite, warm, and appropriate. It includes specific details like "I appreciate you taking such good care of Max" and "I know it's not easy dealing with an energetic puppy."

Your follow-up: "This is good, but my neighbor watched my cat, not my dog. And can you make it shorter?"

AI's second response: AI immediately adjusts, providing a shorter version with "Whiskers" instead of "Max" and updating references to make sense for a cat.

What you learned:

AI responds quickly and conversationally
It's easy to correct mistakes and refine responses
You can iterate back and forth naturally
You stayed in control—AI provided drafts, you made decisions

This is exactly how AI is meant to work: as a collaborative tool, not a magic answer machine.

After your first question, try following up

The real power of AI shows up in the conversation, not just the first answer.

If you asked for dinner ideas:

"The stir-fry sounds good. Can you give me the recipe with specific measurements?"
"I don't have soy sauce. What can I use instead?"
"What side dish would go well with this?"

If you asked for an explanation:

"That makes sense. Can you give me a real-world example?"
"What's the most common misconception people have about this?"
"How would I explain this to my 8-year-old?"

If you asked for brainstorming help:

"Number 3 is interesting. Can you expand on that idea?"
"These all feel a bit generic. Can you suggest something more unique?"
"What would make number 2 more budget-friendly?"

Common first-time experiences (and what they mean)

"This answer is way too long!" That's normal. AI tends to be thorough. Your follow-up can be: "Can you summarize that in 2-3 sentences?" AI will immediately adapt.

"This answer is really generic" Also normal. AI doesn't know your specific context yet. Add more details in your follow-up: "I meant for a 5-year-old's birthday party, not adults" or "I need a gift under $20."

"This seems too good to be true" It might be! That's why learning to evaluate AI's responses is crucial. For help with that, see How do I know if AI's answer is good or garbage?.

"I feel silly asking simple questions" Don't. AI doesn't judge. There's no such thing as a stupid question. The chat is private, and you can always delete it later if you want.

What to do after your first successful conversation

Try a second question in the same chat, or start a new conversation with a different topic. Experiment with being more specific or more casual in how you phrase things. Ask about something actually on your to-do list instead of a practice question.

The goal is to build comfort so AI becomes a normal tool you reach for, like searching Google or asking a friend for advice.

For help refining how you phrase questions, see What if I don't know how to phrase what I'm asking?. And for a better sense of what kinds of tasks AI handles well versus poorly, check out What tasks is AI good at vs. not good at?.